The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-08-25
COLD FACTS.
Concerning the management ol
the ohio PemitemtiarY.

concerning the management OF
the ohio Penitentiary.
The following letter to the Stark
County Democrat, contains some facts
which are of interest to the people of
the State.
COLUMBUS, O., August Is, 1887.
One of the boasts of the Republican
press, started by those-princes of polit-
lcal demagogues, "skincane" Foraker /
and Murat Halstead. is that under Re !,
publican administration the OhlOPen.
itentiary is made self supporting, and
made for the State, while under
the Democratic administration that
institution was net only not self sus- /
but big loss to the State.
A few cold facts is all that is needed
to tell why that institution is now
made barely self sustaining, while
under the last DemOcra ic administra
tion it had to be run at something of
loss to the State.
When the Democrats took charge
there in May, 1884, they not only
found the prison in a diiapldated con
dition, but they were also handicapped
by law abolishing the contract sys-
tenn. The Republicans had been in
power for four years, and during all
that time they only erected one new
building, and permitted many of them
to become dilapidated. They during
the time they were in power had
steady emplny ment for all the convicts
and were enabled by carrying on the
prison under the contract system to
make some money for the State. The
first thing the Democrats had to do
W as to go to an enormous expense i'll
nra of lort m v NAN
Give buildings and repair those which
had become dilapidated, where they
could be, and where they could not be
repaired they had to be torn down and
new ones erected in their places. They
not only found the prison in that con.
dition, as far as the buildings were
concerned, but they also found that
the convicts' clothing. bedding, cook ;
ing utensils, &C., were worn out, and
new clothing, bedding, cooking uten-
sils, dishes, &c, had to be purchased.
And as we remarked before, they
were handicapped with a law which
had Just been passed abolishing the
contract system. throwing hundreds
of convicts out of employ ment, be.
cause, just as soon as the contract ex
pired they were working under. they
We're thrown out of employment aud
had to be placed in the idle house, !"
and during the entire Democratic ad
ministratton of the psnitentiary, there
we're never less than from two hun
dred and fifty to three hundred idle
cOnvicts, with no employment, and
these convicts had not only to be fed
clothed aud kept warm, but it also
took larger number of guards To
| watch them while in idleness than il
they had steady emp o. ment. During
the Democratic administration there
was seldom less than sixteen hundred
convicts in the penitentiary, and often
more than that number.
There is another cold fact concern,
ing the Democratic administration o.
the penitentiary which shodld not bs
forgotten. Whatever laws there wers
in The statutes of Ohio governing OF
regulating that institution, they were
faithfully obsersed and strictly adher
ed to.
| When the Republicans took charg,
of the peniteniiary in 1886 they found
as Warden Coffin said then, all til,
buildings in good repair, new build
ings, plenty of good clothing aud bed
ding for the convicts, good cookin.
utensils and dishes, and plenty o
water to supply the Institution, which
had been placed there by these Demo
cratic predecessors, who had erecte,
large water works to supply the prisol
with the water needed, AMI thereb,
. save So 900 year, the amount the,
boast they have saved over expenses
during their first year, which amour
the Democrats had to pay to the Co
luInbus water works each year the,
were in charge.
Soon after the Republicans cam
into power the number of convicts wa
reduced to fourteen hundred, and "a
present it is less than that number
, BY violating the law abolisbiug til
contract system, and having convict
work on the old contract plan, the
have steady, remunerative aud profit
able employment for every convict il
the penitentiary, thereby needing les
guards, less clothing. less bedding, les
food, less fuel and less wear and tea
of the institution
; During the time the penitentiar
was in the control of the Democrat
nothing whatever was received frou
the u. s. Governmt mt for the .klepin
of u IS. prisoners. while during til
time the Republicans have had charg
of it some So. 600 has already been re
ceived fiOm the U. 3. Government TO
Keeping u. .. prisoners tnere- DurlD
, the time the Republicans have ha
r charge. since May, 1886, about one
fourth as many new buildings hav
been erected as were erected by tn
Democrats during the same length G
time.
These are all cold facts. Is it an
, wonder the Democratic administrator
with what they had to do and wha
: they had to pu ufchase, that they coul
3 not make the penitentiary self sup
porting? And when it is remembers
that the Republican administratiO
found everything in apple pie order
and an abundance of clothing, beddin
food, and new water works, receivin
SIS. 900 from the United States, whic
the Democratic administration did Nc
no idle cOnvicts to feed, clethe an
: guard, have they any thing TO boast {
! in running the penitsntiary self sur
porting? And with the advantage
1 they have had, witch the Democrat
had not, and the money they did nc
, have to expend, have they not show
extravaganza instead of economy i
running the Ohio Penitentiary N.
Il